


My Past, Your Future

by limelightwrites



Category: Cookie Run (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:20:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27545233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/limelightwrites/pseuds/limelightwrites
Summary: OPERATION TIMEGUARD SPOILERS!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!Every journey starts with a single step. And to keep a journey going, one must take several thousand more of them. Timekeeper Cookie reminisces about their past as Croissant Cookie, one that was doomed (or, in their eyes, blessed) with the realization that monotony was the greatest enemy...
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. Recollection

"My, my, it's been a while since I've been here, you know..."

Timekeeper Cookie pulled up the garage door, peering inside the darkness and glimpsing the faint outline of the once proud Timecraft that soared through time-space itself, now reduced to a broken machine after the first accident. Timekeeper stepped closer, flicking on the light just as the garage door slammed shut. The bare light bulbs flickered twice, then stayed on, illuminating the former workshop. Time Gears and other pieces lay scattered about, while the Timecraft itself lay on its side, quite a few pieces inside missing. Removing those pieces had been necessary to create the Sonic Embroider, and Timekeeper eyed the tool, recalling that memory almost fondly.

The Embroider had become Timekeeper's invaluable companion, allowing the manipulation of spacetime itself, and with it, the ability to open, travel through, and close time rifts without even needing a pair of Timeweaver Scissors; after all, the Embroider was simply an upgrade! It required no Timecraft, and it was arguably Timekeeper's crowning mechanical achievement. The time traveler sat down next to the totaled Timecraft, recalling the chain of events that led up to now.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The "first accident" had been caused by Croissant's curious streak: she was always told to use protective goggles whenever flying through timespace, and she had always done so without question, fearful of the other outcome. But that fear was soon suppressed by curiosity, and the mechanic, tucked into her Timecraft, started the engines.

The machine hummed to life, the propellers buzzing and the screens in front of Croissant flickered on, a sure sign of a sound journey. Though, now, Croissant had no intention of following protocol; at least, not in regards to being safe. Day in and day out of work at the TBD, doing the same things every day... the mechanic grew bored of that monotony. And now that would change. Forever, Timekeeper Cookie now knew, and the past Croissant Cookie would soon find out.

The Timecraft began to inch forward as a tear in spacetime was produced by Croissant's pair of Timeweaver Scissors. She almost brought her hand up to put her goggles on, but she stopped herself. The whole point of this journey was to see what happened; any outcome would certainly beat a safe flight. Narrowing her eyes, Croissant floored the pedals, and the Timecraft whizzed forward quickly, diving right into the tear seconds before it closed, sealing Croissant's decision. What the mechanic didn't know was the pain that would follow.

A Cookie's eyes were not meant to glimpse the insides of a time rift without protection, and this rule graced Croissant's mind as her eyes began to burn. She screamed at the sudden pain, the Timecraft swerving as she brought her gloved hands to cover her eyes, though that did nothing to stop the pain. Squeezing her burning eyes shut, she scrambled for her Timeweaver Scissors to open another tear. Her hands found the device, and she used it, sending the Timecraft and herself back into the present.

Unfortunately, piloting a Timecraft blind wasn't something that was recommended by the TBD either, and the machine collided with the ground, sending Croissant flying. The mechanic hit the ground on her side, gasping at the impact as the Timecraft bounced feet above her, rolling along the ground until it stopped, completely totaled beyond repair. But Croissant's main concern was her eyes; the burning had stopped, but she hadn't opened them at all.

Lowering her head, she slowly opened her eyes. The normally brown pupils had turned bright yellow, and both had adopted a white swirl pattern in place of a normal iris. Croissant looked around; her eye sight was unaffected, but a nearby puddle gave her a look at the damage. Her eyes widened as she peered into the puddle at herself. This result... it had to be expected. This is why it was dangerous. But Croissant felt a smile tugging at the ends of her lips. While irreversible, this change was... different. It broke the monotony she had experienced for almost a year so far. 

Standing up, Croissant peered over at her totaled Timecraft, her smile fading. She had wrecked her only way to enter time-space; both the Timeweaver Scissors AND the craft were required to make it through a tear before it closed; otherwise, it was impossible. Croissant peered down at her Scissors. They were undamaged, almost in pristine shape, considering a crash like that.

And, slowly, a plan formed in Croissant's head. The Timeweaver Scissors were an open blueprint, prone to improvements... and then it clicked. Croissant's smile returned, brighter and more confident than any she had cast before, because she had a plan now. The Timecraft was obsolete now; not when she could simply omit the middle man. Croissant stepped toward the Timecraft, and got to work, pulling out wires and parts she had so meticulously welded in before. 

The Timecraft and the Scissors would become one device on that day: the Sonic Embroider. And that was only the start of this Croissant Cookie's transformation into the Timekeeper everyone knew today.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Timekeeper blinked slowly, waking up from the dream. It wasn't often that Timekeeper would slip into sleep so seamlessly, but it was almost storybook for reality and recollections to flow so well. The time traveler didn't often revel in their own past as much as they reveled in the past they could change, but this was different. Standing up, Timekeeper glanced back at the Timecraft, still in disrepair and on its side. And they smiled, one that held the genuineness of the Croissant Cookie they once were. 

"Thank you, old friend. Without you, this wouldn't have exactly been possible." And they took their leave, leaving fond memories to become even fonder with the passing of time.


	2. Renewal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the events of Operation Timeguard, Croissant and Timekeeper have a little chat, and the mechanic learns just a bit more about the Director of the TBD's transformation...

"And after that accident? What happened then?" Croissant Cookie asked curiously, sitting down in a puffy chair in the Director's office. Timekeeper Cookie chuckled, crossing one leg over the other in their own seat.

"Normally, that'd be it. I'd stop telling you about myself, because everyone deserves to have secrets!" They grinned a little bit. "But, since you've been so insistent and cooperative, I suppose I wouldn't mind telling you about what happened to me next."

Croissant leaned forward, looking interested. "Then tell me! It's not every day you find out you have an alter ego, anyway..."

"Very well... I'll simply show you what happened." Timekeeper stood up, using the Sonic Embroider and, before Croissant could resist, the two of them vanished.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Croissant opened her eyes. She and Timekeeper were now in the time rift Timekeeper mostly called home, the various gears and orange hues of the rift almost a welcoming sight. But something was different, and Timekeeper pulled her behind a gear, peering out from behind it at someone else. Croissant followed their gaze, and gasped.

The person they were looking at was none other than another Croissant Cookie, sporting the same yellow eyes as Timekeeper did, and who was clearly struggling to withstand the pressure of the rift. Croissant opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Timekeeper.

"That is my past self, weathering the time rift's effects. Of course now, I can filter out those same harmful effects, but back then... not having protection against it was nothing short of painful." Timekeeper almost sounded remorseful at that. Were they remembering the pain?

The past Croissant grunted, and sat down shakily, clutching the Sonic Embroider with both gloved hands. Her left eye was squeezed shut, and she was gasping, trying not to scream. The present Croissant, behind the gear, winced and looked away. "It... had to be hard, right? To go through all that just for..."

Timekeeper Cookie didn't respond for a second, their gaze fixated on their past self. But eventually they smiled, and looked down. "Recalling it, no, not really. I had thought it was worth it, to break out of monotony. Remember, I did not have a Timekeeper Cookie of my own to change that course of events."

Croissant blinked. Was... was that why Timekeeper Cookie only struck then? Pinning the disrupted timeline on Gingerbrave... was that all a ploy to... keep Croissant from following exactly the same path?

"W-Wait, Timekeeper, did you-" Croissant was interrupted by the tip of the Sonic Embroider nearly plunging into her neck, and the mechanic gasped at the sudden movement. Timekeeper Cookie gave her a dangerous look.

"You may be my apprentice now, but don't make assumptions like that. It was merely a coincidence that I happened to create that entire incident right about then." And yet, Croissant didn't believe them. Not entirely. Especially considering the way their expression wavered, and their arm slightly shook... no, Timekeeper Cookie wasn't entirely careless after all. They clearly didn't want Croissant to feel the pain of the future. Not like that.

"Okay... I believe you." It was a white-faced lie. But Timekeeper seemed satisfied, and sat down on the Embroider, smiling. 

"That's good! Now, for story-time." They leaned back, almost in a relaxed manner. Croissant sat up, still glancing at the struggling past Croissant, who had put a hand over her closed left eye. Timekeeper chimed in.

"There's a reason why I was clutching my eye." Timekeeper pointed to their own left eye. It was currently covered by an eye-patch of sorts, though it was made in a way that made it look like an eye itself. "My left eye is... powerful. I can see all possible timelines with it. That's why it stays under this eye-patch."

Croissant frowned. "How does that even work? There's so many timelines..."

Timekeeper nodded. "Exactly the point. There's so many, in fact, that one could find themselves in quite a lot of pain if heading somewhere with too many possible events. And so, I had this eye-patch made. The TBD didn't understand why I needed it, but they supplied it regardless."

"And if the time rift's effects caused it..." Croissant put her wrench to her chin. "I'm guessing it also changed your hair and skin, right?"

Timekeeper smiled. "Ding ding ding! We have a winner! Yes, the time rift altered my skin and hair, turning it grayer and more puffy, respectively. It was almost as if the changes were making me more immune to the time rift's effects! Which they were. And eventually, the changes were too noticeable. I couldn't hide them anymore."

Croissant nodded solemnly. "And that's when you left."

"Precisely. I bid my garage goodbye, and left forever, changing both wardrobe and name. I haven't seen anyone from that timeline in such a long time! Though I'm sure they don't remember me anymore. I happen to be an anomaly in itself, after all." Timekeeper sighed, resting their head in their hands. "I don't miss it. It was too boring."

"I see..." Croissant stood up. "I think I get it. You stepped in and caused the incident right before I would've done the exact same thing you did. And then you offered to guide me to get the power you have. To make things easier for me."

Timekeeper's smile faded, and they sat up, looking a bit uncomfortable. "We Croissant Cookies are always too perceptive for our own good, aren't we? Though... yes. You're right. I fancy myself a pioneer in this type of context, and making you get through it the difficult way feels almost... boring! And it would've taken far too long. So simply guiding you through the process would've sped things up! And yet, you still rejected the power." They sighed, though they didn't seem so upset. "Of course, you offered me a twist I never even expected in return, so I wasn't even angry!"

Croissant didn't reply. This all sounded... right. Timekeeper really did hate monotony over all else, even if it meant doing bad things, like messing with the timeline... and Croissant felt similarly. The TBD is fun to be a part of, but it sometimes fell into a loop...

The mechanic reached forward and shook Timekeeper's hand. "Hey, I won't make this future monotonous. You can count on that." 

Timekeeper Cookie stared back at Croissant, almost shocked. Though it was hard to tell, considering their eyes... but they responded in kind, shaking Croissant's hand as well. "A wonderful promise. Perhaps I'll hold you to it, then."

Croissant gave them her classic confident smile. There was no telling what exactly would happen, but she knew that it definitely wouldn't ever get boring; not when she and Timekeeper were working together.


	3. The Full Timeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is just a full timeline of my personal headcanon of the Timekeeper's transformation... hopefully it all makes sense!

It all starts out with Croissant Cookie:   
\- Croissant experiments by entering a time rift without goggles on. This scars her eyes and causes her to crash her Timecraft, rendering it useless and in need of repairs. Instead of repairing the craft, Croissant decides to upgrade her Timeweaver Scissors, and they become the Sonic Embroider, a more powerful version that does not require a Timecraft to travel through rifts. Normally, the Craft AND the Scissors are required to be able to actually open AND enter a rift in time.  
\- Croissant calls the TBD to request help in bringing the totaled Timecraft back to her garage. At this point, her goggles are key in making things seem like they were okay; she didn't want to alarm anyone to what she was doing.  
\- Instead of repairing the craft, Croissant continues experimenting with the Sonic Embroider. This leads to the second stage of the transformation.

After the crash:  
\- Croissant still attends university with her friends Hero Cookie and Sandwich Cookie. Sandwich Cookie drops out of university almost a month before Croissant's accident happens to pursue her dream of working in the sandwich shop, so only Hero notices Croissant's constant use of her goggles. Despite multiple questions, Croissant denies taking off the goggles, and slowly becomes more distant, worrying Hero.  
\- The changes to Croissant's skin and hair begin: her skin becomes grayer and her hair straightens and puffs out to match the present Timekeeper's, and her left eye begins to see infinite timelines. It only takes about a month of this phenomenon for Croissant to once again request a blackout eye-patch (similar to a blackout sleeping mask) to curb her left eye's sight. Almost uncannily, the eye-patch she receives matches the shade of her yellow eyes almost perfectly.   
\- A month passes by, and the effects worsen. Croissant stops going to university, and disappears from the TBD's ranks entirely. Hero notices this change, and plans to approach her with Sandwich's help.  
\- Hero and Sandwich confront Croissant, who is just returning from some time in the time rift. A conflict is had, but Hero and Sandwich leave eventually, distraught, discouraged, and having lost their friend. Croissant simply returns to the rift, hoping now to speed up the process. After another month, the changes become prominent enough for a wardrobe and name change to become completely possible, and the new Timekeeper Cookie vanishes from the timeline forever.

After abandoning their timeline:  
\- Timekeeper Cookie continues to experiment with visiting other timelines, messing with them and even ending some entirely (think about the timelines cancelled/older Cookie Run games follow (ex. LINE Cookie Run, Cookie Wars, etc.)). Eventually, Timekeeper begins to look for their counterparts, initially only finding Croissant Cookies who never joined the TBD. Searching takes nearly a year (in relative time rift time) until Timekeeper finds the Croissant Cookie we know in Ovenbreak. Keeping this in mind, Timekeeper begins to plan.  
\- Going back in time, Timekeeper enters the new timeline and confronts the old Director of the TBD. Of course, this director would be unknown for obvious reasons.  
\- Timekeeper overthrows this old Director, but keeps their identity a secrets from the TBD itself, save for the fact that there is a new Director, hence why no one has ever seen them before during Operation Timeguard's events.  
\- The new Croissant joins the TBD while Timekeeper is Director, solidifying their involvement in the upcoming Timeguard event.  
\- Gingerbrave is soon accused of messing with the timeline, causing the events of Operation Timeguard.

Hope this headcanon sheet seems solid!


End file.
